This invention relates to a register for air conditioning that changes the direction of air blowing out of an air conditioner into a room with a fin.
A register for air conditioning is incorporated in an instrument panel of a vehicle. The register for air conditioning changes the direction of air blowing out of an air conditioner into a vehicle cabin. Incorporating the register for air conditioning into the instrument panel requires reserve of space of a different unit to be installed on the instrument panel. In response, there has been suggested a thin register for air conditioning having a dimension in the crosswise direction larger than a dimension in the longitudinal direction.
The register for air conditioning includes a rectangular cylindrical case having a small dimension in the height direction, and multiple fins arranged in the case. The fins are arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction. The fins include a pair of auxiliary fins and a main fin. The main fin is arranged between the auxiliary fins. Fin shafts project from opposite end surfaces of each of the auxiliary fins and the main fin. The auxiliary fins and the main fin are rotationally supported by right and left wall parts of the case through the corresponding fin shafts.
In the register for air conditioning, in order to improve the directivity of air blowing out of a supply opening, it is desirable that the auxiliary fins rotate substantially parallel to the main fin in an interlocked relationship with rotation of the main fin. Further, in order to reserve flow paths of air between the main fin and the auxiliary fins, it is desirable that each of the auxiliary fins rotate near upper and lower wall parts of the case.
Thus, there has been suggested a register for air conditioning that rotates each of the auxiliary fins substantially parallel to the main fin while moving at least one of an upstream end and a downstream end of each of the auxiliary fins toward the upper or lower wall part of the case. In such a register for air conditioning, while the main fin is substantially parallel to the upper and lower wall parts of the case, each of the auxiliary fins is arranged substantially parallel to the upper and lower wall parts of the case while the upstream and downstream ends of each of the auxiliary fins are arranged near the upper or lower wall part of the case.
If the main fin is tilted such that a downstream end of the main fin is arranged in a higher position, the upper auxiliary fin rotates downward with a downstream end of the upper auxiliary fin moving toward the upper wall part of the case while the lower auxiliary fin rotates upward with an upstream end of the lower auxiliary fin moving toward the lower wall part of the case. Conversely, if the main fin is tilted such that the downstream end of the main fin is arranged in a lower position, the upper auxiliary fin rotates downward with an upstream end of the upper auxiliary fin moving toward the upper wall part of the case while the lower auxiliary fin rotates upward with a downstream end of the lower auxiliary fin moving toward the lower wall part of the case.
A mechanism to actuate the main fin and the auxiliary fins in the aforementioned manner is described for example in European Patent Application Publication No. 2602137. As shown in FIGS. 30A to 30C, in the structure disclosed in this publication, a fin shaft 102 and a transmission shaft 103 project from an end surface of a main fin 101. A bearing part 107 and a long hole 108 penetrate through each of right and left wall parts 105 of a case 104. The long hole 108 extends along a circular arc about the bearing part 107 as a center. The fin shaft 102 is rotationally supported by the bearing part 107. The transmission shaft 103 passes through the long hole 108 such that it can move along the long hole 108.
An auxiliary fin 111 has an end portion provided with an arm 112. A fin shaft 113 projects from the arm 112. A pair of shafts 114 projects from an end surface of the auxiliary fin 111. One bearing part 115 and a pair of cam holes 116 are formed above the long hole 108 in each of the right and left wall parts 105 of the case 104. One bearing part and a pair of cam holes, not shown in the drawings, are further formed below the long hole 108 in each of the right and left wall parts 105. The fin shaft 113 passes through the bearing part 115 in a manner that allows displacement and rotation of the fin shaft 113. Each of the transmission shafts 114 passes through a corresponding one of the cam holes 116 in a manner that allows displacement of the transmission shaft 114.
A plate-like cam member 117 is arranged outside each of the right and left wall parts 105 such that it can move up and down. A long hole 118 and a cam hole 119 are formed in the cam member 117. The transmission shaft 103 passes through the long hole 118 in a manner that allows displacement of the transmission shaft 103. The fin shaft 113 passes through the cam hole 119 in a manner that allows displacement of the fin shaft 113.
In this structure, rotating the main fin 101 in the vertical direction about the fin shaft 102 rotates the transmission shaft 103 around the fin shaft 102. This movement of the transmission shaft 103 is transmitted through the wall surface of the long hole 118 to the cam member 117, thereby moving the cam member 117 up and down. This changes a place where the bearing part 115 and the cam hole 119 intersect, thereby changing the position of the fin shaft 113 in the bearing part 115. In response, each of the transmission shafts 114 moves in corresponding one of the cam holes 116. As a result, in response to the rotation of the main fin 101, each of the auxiliary fins 111 rotates while maintaining a condition substantially parallel to the main fin 101 with at least one of an upstream end and a downstream end of each of the auxiliary fins 111 moving toward an upper wall part 106 or a lower wall part 106 of the case 104. This improves the directivity of air blowing out of a supply opening while reserving a flow path of air between the main fin 101 and the auxiliary fin 111.
In the aforementioned register for air conditioning, while the cam member 117 is moved up and down to rotate the auxiliary fin 111, the cam member 117 sticks upward from the upper wall part 106 of the case 104 or downward from the lower wall part 106 of the case 104. This may causes the fear of interference between the cam member 117 and a part around the case 104. Additionally, each of the right and left wall parts 105 of the case 104 is provided with the long hole 108, the bearing part 115, and the cam hole 116. These holes become the cause for a poor visual quality as they are recognized visually when the inside of the case 104 is viewed.